Dredge



. 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. '1 J. A. BALL.

(No Model.)

DREDGE.

Elm 299,945.

Patented June 10, 1884.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented June 10, 1884.

(No Model.)

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UNrTan STATES T PATENT met.

JOHN A. BALL, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

.DRETDGE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,945, dated June 10, 1884.

Application filed August 3!, 1883. (Noimodeld To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. BALL, of Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Dredges, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in dredges, and has for its object to provide means whereby the hull may be readily con trolled as to its movements in any direction.

My invention consists in the devices and combinations of devices hereinafter fully and particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the hull of a dredge containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 3 on the dotted line w x of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 1, taken along the line as of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the hull along the line 00 01:, Fig. 3, the ladder being, however, omitted. Fig. 5 is a diagram, on a smaller scale, merely to illustrate the location on the hull of the gipsies, or devices which operate upon the anchored rope or cable, to swing the hull about the main spud as a center, and to show the ball-joint which is used to attach the conducting-pipe to the hull. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the gearing to drive the gipsy, 011 the line 00 Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a detail of the worm and gear to move the gipsy which actuates'the main spud, its devices being duplicated in connection with the devices to operate the ladder and auxiliary spud; Fig. 7, a detail of the clutch-gearing for moving the chain which raises and lowers the ladder; Fig. 8, a detail referring to the auxiliary spud; Fig. 9, a side view of Fig. 8; Fig. 10, a detail of a gipsy, and a modified form of driving-gear and clutch; Fig. 11, a view of Fig. '10, looking at it from the under side. Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail of part of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 represents, a pair of gipsies; Fig. 14, a portion of the bucket carrying chain and its supporting and moving sprocket-wheel,

, and the hopper and the upper ends of the water-inlet and mud-discharge pipes; Fig. 15, a detail of the hopper with the chute-boards added, to stop the well, the said chuteboards being employed, should it be desired to discharge the mud, &c., into a scow at the sides of the hull, as heretofore common; Fig. 16, a cross-sectional broken detail of the ladder. Fig. 17, a detail at the jointed upper end of the ladder; and Fig. 18, an enlarged detail of the divided shaft a, to be described.

In the drawings, A is supposed to represent the hull of a dredge of suitable shape and size. As herein shown, the said hull has above, and carried by it, suitable uprights and cross-beams to properly support the working parts to be described. At one end the hull is cut away centrally, as at A (shown best in Fig. 4,) for the reception of the ladder A which will be suitably pivoted at A upon a stiff rod or shaft held in suitable boxes. The ladder, composed of iron, has, from its piv oted point along its upper side to its outer end, pieces of angle-iron, as at 2, Fig. 16, to receive and form a track for the rollers 3 of the chain B, to which are attached the pivoted buckets B, substantially such as in United States Patent No. 236,138, granted to me J anuary 4, 1881, to which reference may be had, the said buckets being provided with gates automatically operated by links, as in the said patent. The side pieces, T, at the under side of the ladder, are grooved or channeled to form guides in which the chains travel, the said rollers rolling along in the said channels, and causing the chain and the buckets then entering or cutting into and lifting the mud and earth to travel in direct or laid-out line.

The endless chains B referred to are extended over the sprocket-wheel Bf, fast on the positively-driven bucket-shaft B", and at its lower bi ght the said chain is extended about the curved end of the ladder. The upper end of the ladder has a bridge-piece, B", (see Fig. 17,) composed of angleiron, the acting face of which is in a curve struck from the center A, about which the ladder turns, the said bridge covering the space left between the lower side of the upper end of the ladder and the stationary track B B, when the lower end of the ladder is raised. The tracks B B are of angleiron, and when the bucketchain B is moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 14, each roller of the said chain, as it leaves the groove in the channel-iron at the lower side of the said ladder, passes above the angle-iron track B and rides thereon, supporting and guiding adapted to slide on the 'cross-t'in'ibers.

the said chain and buckets in the proper direction, preventing the chain from sagging, as it would otherwise do; but as the rollers of the said chain arrive at the upper end of the said track and the chain is turning about the sprocket-wheel, the bucket having discharged its load, the said rollers pass upon the upper track, B, and travel down along it to the stationary or fixed angle-iron tracks 2 011 the upper side of the ladder. The ladder has two chains, 4 4, extended over sheaves T at the ends of a suitable frame, 0, extended from the hull. The chains at are attached to racks 0, These racks are engaged by pinions O on a shaft, C", held in suitable bearings, and provided at its outer end with. a worm-toothed gear, 0*, which is acted upon by a worm-such as shown at C, Fig. 6on a shaft, 0", provided at its other end with a bevel-gear, G, which is engaged and driven by a bevel-gear, G at the upper end of a shaft, 0 having at its lower end a bevel-gear, C", (see Fig. 7,) whichis engaged by the two bevel-gears (J C, loose on the shaft 0, and having, respectively, clutchteeth 5 6, one or the other of which is adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the clutch-hub O correspondingly toothed and splined on the shaft 0, provided with fast and loose pulleys G 0 driven by a suitable belt, O, which derives its motion from a drum fast on the main driven shaft D of the apparatus. By these devices the end of the ladder may be raised or lowered, to place the front or cutting edges of the buckets in the proper position to enter the mud or earth, and to enter the same to the desired depth, according to the cut to be made, the adjustment of the ladder being easily made as the cut is being deepened by successive buckets.

For the devices shown for rotating the shaft 0 there may be substituted any other usual devices, and yet be within the scope of my invention.

The buckets herein described are intended to discharge their contents into an elevated hopper or receptacle, D, where the said 1naterial is struck by a powerful stream of water forced against it through the nozzle of a pipe, D, filled with water by one or more suitable power-pun1ps located, preferably, in the hold of the hull, the said hopper or receptacle having a discharge-outlet, shown as located opposite the said nozzle, and provided with a discharge-pipe, D all substantially as in my Patent No. 285,340, dated August, 1883, to which reference maybe had, wherein the mud, 85c. mixed with wateris moved by hydrostatic pressure or gravity. The lower end of the dis charge-pipe is made ball-shaped to form the ball part of aball-and-soeket joint, D, and the socket part of the said joint is secured to the inner end of the conducting-pipe D which latter is composed of several or any desired number of sections joined by ball-and-socke t joints, and supported on pontons or otherwise, to suitably conduct the mud and other material to the shore or other place of deposit. These joints, sections of pipe, &c. are substantially as in my application filed July 5, 1883. The mud and other substance acted upon by the forced stream of water from the pipe D, and carried or washed into the discharge-pipe D of the hopper, will pass through the conducting-pipe D and this pipe, owing to the ball-joints,and especially to the joint D", close to the hull and close to the main spud to be described, enables the hull to be swung about the said spud as a center without strain upon the said conducting-pipe. The hopper, preferably V-shaped at bottom, is provided with one or more valves or gates, D, which may be opened when it is desired to discharge therefrom heavy stones or other material which will not enter the dischargepipe by the action thereon of the said forced stream. As shown in Fig. 2, the said valves or gates have below them a well or pipe, D the end of which is bent outward to the outside of the hull to enable the material dropped into the said well to be discharged therefrom from time to time, as desired, by opening the well valve or gate D I prefer to retain some mud and waterin the well D to serve as a cushion for heavy stones, 850., which may drop therein, such cushion greatly relieving the hull from shocks.

If the stones in the mud are not too large, I

place across the well a roofshaped cover, D, (shown only in Fig. 15,) which closes the well, and .from this roof-shaped cover extend two chutes, each being directed outward toward the outside of the hull, and being adapted to direct the large material of the hopper into sc'ows at the sides of the hull. The hull, while the buckets are being made to lift mud and earth, must be held securely in the water, and be gradually swung about a spud, 1*], to permit the successive buckets, by reason of their tapering shape, to gradually cut farther and farther to one side of the channel being cut, thus gradually widening the same. To do this I have provided the hull with a gipsy, G, composed of several parts, to be described, it being adapted to receive about it a rope or cable, II, which at one end has an attached anchor, II. This rope or eable is extended over a lead-pulley, H thence about the gipsy one or more times, across a second lead-pulley, H, over a pulley, 50, attached to a second anchor, H at the opposite side of the hull; thence about a pulley, H connected with the hull as near as practicable to the main spud; and thence about a capstan, IF, of usual construction, the end of the said rope or cable, when made taut, being preferably connected with or wound about a cleat, H, of usual construction. Rotation of the gipsy in one or the other direction will act uponthe said rope or cable and cause the hull to swing about the main spud E as a center, the speed of this horizontal swinging movement depending upon the thickness of the out which it is desired to make.

In Fig. 5, which is a diagram on a smaller IIO scale, chiefly to show the rope or cable H and its connection with the anchors and gipsy and capstan, I have illustrated the gipsy as composed of but one spool; but in practice the .said gipsy (shown on a larger scale, Figs. 1

joined by the intermediate 15. The shaft of the spool 10 is provided with a worm-toothed gear, 16, which is engaged by a worm, 17, on a shaft, 18, in bearings 19. (See Fig. 6.) The shaft 18 has a bevel-gear, 20, engaged by a bevel-gear, 21, on a shaft, 22, provided with two loose and an intermediate fast pulley, to receive the open and crossed belts 23 24, respectively, driven from a drum fast on the shaft D, the shaft 22 and the gipsy G being rotated in one or the other direction, according to which belt is operative as the driver, the said belts being under the control of suitable belt-shippers.

The gipsy just described maybe left at rest by placing each belt on the two loose pulleys of shaft 22; but in some instances I shall drive two or more gipsies of two spools each by the same line of shafting, To do this the shaft 18 will be prolonged sufficiently to carry two or more worms, 17, which will be loose on the said shaft opposite the worm-toothed gears with which they are engaged, (see Fig. 13,) the said worm being held against longitudinal movement on the said shaft by fixed bearings 26 27, a sleeve from one end of the said worm being extended through one of the said fixed bear:v ings, and being provided with clutch-teeth 28, to be engaged by the clutching-teeth of ahub, 29, splined upon the said shaft. (See Fig. 12.)

By the devices just described any one gipsy may be thrown out of operation at will, and the shaft which is arranged to drive it may continue .to drive another gipsy, and the worm loose on the said shaft will act to hold the gipsy in place against rotation by reason of strain exerted on it by the rope passed about its spools. The main spud Ea timber from fifty to sixty feet longguided in eyes or eyelets 30two or inorehas a rope, 31, connected to it at its upper end, at 33. This rope is carried over a pulley, 32, at the top of the frame-work of the hull and thence down and about the spools of the gipsy I, which, inconstruction and operation, is the same as gipsy G referred to, and thence the said rope is carried about a pulley-block, 34, suitably pivoted upon and adj ustably connected with the deck, and from this pulleyblock the said rope is carried upward, and its end is fastened to the main spud at 33, thus making a practically endless rope or band, which is passed around the said gipsy several times, so that as the latter is rotated the said rope is moved in one or the other direction to positively lift the said main spud or to force it down into the mud or earth. Heretofore this work has been done by means of pawls and ratchets, which are very slow and tedious. The gear 16 of the gipsy 10 may be driven by worm, 17, mounted and actuated on a shaft in the same manner as heretofore described in connection with Fig. 6; or it may be operated in any other suitableway obvious to those skilled in the art. The auxiliary spud lVI-a long pointed timber-is placed in eyes e, bolted upon a crane, 6 supported by and adapted to slide backward and forward in guides 0 pivoted to swing about a shaft, 6 the weight of the crane being supported by the deck. This crane has racks 6 attached to it, which are engaged by toothed gears c on the positively-driven shaft 6 so that as the said shaft is driven in one or the other direction the said crane will be drawn upon or pushed out from the hull, and at the same time the crane may be turned about the shaft 6 into any angular position with relation to the hull. The auxiliary spud has attached to it at 35 a rope, 36, which is extended overa pulley, 37, and thence about the gipsy N, as described of rope 31 about gipsy I, and thence about a duplicate of pulley 34, when the said rope is again attached to the auxiliary spud at 35.

\Vhen it is desired to move the hull longitudinally in a right line or in an angular position to relocate the main spud and hull in the proper line with relation to the channel being cut by the buckets, so that the lateral swinging of the hull may be made to take place correctly, as described, the auxiliary spud and the crane carrying the latter will be pushed out from the hull in the direction it is desired to draw the hull,and the said auxiliary spud will be forced down into the mud or earth, and thereafter the main spud will be hoisted, and then the shaft 0 will be rotated to draw the crane in upon the deck, which will result in drawing the hull to the auxiliary spud, when the main spud will be again thrust into the mud and the auxiliary spud hoisted. If. the hull is to be moved in the other direction, the auxiliary spud will be thrust into the mud while the crane is drawn in upon the deck, and after the main spud has been lifted the said crane will be pushed out from the hull by the said shaft c and its gears.

I do not desire or intend to limit my inven' tion to the means shown to operate the gipsies, nor have I herein specifically described the shafts and gears to operate the gipsies I N, because the said devices are substantially the same as those already described, as will appear from the drawings. The system of belting O operates the shafting for the gipsy I. Belts I? operate shaft 1, which, by suitable gearing, rotates shaft e.

I have herein shown the rope or cable H as held outside the hull by anchors; but it is obvious that any other suitable fixed points would serve equally as well the purpose of the anchors. The shaft 13 of the sprocket-wheel,

which moves the bucket-chain B, derives its movement from the gears 46 47 on the shaft D, which engage, respectively, the toothed wheels 42 44, loose on a compound shaft, a, composed of two parts held in bearings a" t5, the inner or contiguous ends of the said shafts fitting one into the other, so that either end or half of thesaid shaft may be run independently of the other. Onehalf of shaft ahas fast upon it a bevel-gear, 40, while the other half has fast upon it the bevel gear 41, and the flat faces of the wheels 42 and gear and the wheel 44 and gear 4l,rest against each other, the faces of the said wheels rubbing against the faces of the said gears, except when one of the latter is clutched to one of the former. One of the halves of the shaft 01. has a friction-disk, 43, splined upon it, while the other half has a friction-disk, 45, splined on it, so that either of the said friction-disks may be forced laterally along the said shaft, and be made to press against the moving wheel 42 or 44 with sufficient force to enable the said wheel to turn the said disk and its part of the shaft a and connected bevel-gear along with it, thus making the bevel-wheel so move the driver for the gear 9 at the lower end of the shaft g, provided at its upper end with a bevel-gear which engages a bevel-gear on 'and drives the said sprocket-wheel.

I do not make any specific claim to the gearing described, and instead of it may use any other suitable well-known gearing, to operate in substantially the same manner; or I may employ belting.

I claim 1. The hull, its main spud, and the rope or cable and anchors to hold it outside the hull,

and distant from one end of the latter, said cable being connected with the said hull near its other end, combined with a gipsy to act upon the said rope or cable, and move the said hull from side to side, substantially as described.

2. The hull, its main spud, and the rope or cable to hold said hull, secured at each side of but distant from the hull, the said cable being made to wind freely with relation to one of the anchors by means of a pulley, as described, combined with a capstan mounted on the hull and adapted to hold taut the working end of said rope or cable, substantially as described.

3. The hull, its main spud, the rope or cable v H, and anchors H H to hold it outside the hull, the pulley connected with the anchor H", and the capstan to receive the unanchored end of the rope or cable, combined with a gipsy to act upon the said rope or cable and swing the hull about the said spud as a center, substantially as described.

4. The hull, its main spud, the rope or cable H, the anchors, and pulley connected with anchor H combined with the pulleyH', located near the main spud, and with a capstan to receive about it the free end of the said rope or cable, combined with means, substantially as described, to act upon said rope or cable and swing the hull about the said spud, substantially as described.

5. The hull, its main spud, the rope or cable,

the anchor to fix one end of the rope outside of the hull, the anchor provided with a pulley and located at the opposite side of the hull, the capstan to hold the other end of the said rope,

.and a gipsy and means to move it positively to act upon and swing the said hull about the said spud, combined with the bucket-chain and buckets thereon, and with means to operate the said chain and buckets, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 8o

6. The hull, the crane, and the auxiliary spud, and means to lift the said spud, combined with means to slide the crane, substantially as described.

7. The hull, the crane adapted to slide in pivoted guides, and the auxiliary spud, combined with means to slide the said crane, and with means to lift the spud, substantially as described.

8. The hull and the main spud, combined with a pivoted sliding spud-carrying crane, and with means to operate the said crane, substantially as described.

9. The hull and the elevated hopper provided with a discharge-outlet, combined with valves or gates at the bottom of the hopper, substantially as described. I

-10. The hull and the elevated hopper provided with the discharge-outlet and the valves or gates at the bottom of the hopper, combined with the well into which the material discharged through the said valves or gates drops, substantially as described.

11. The hull, the elevated hopper provided with the discharge-outlet, and the valves or gates at the bottom of the hopper, combined with the roof-shaped cover against which the material dropped through the said valves or gates may strike, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name I I0 

